Means for holding a toggle joint in buckled adjustment



March 27, 1956 J. A. MAHR 2,739,361

MEANS FOR HOLDING A TOGGLE JOINT IN BUCKLED ADJUSTMENT Original Filed Nov. 5, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 SJ A'zderJor' J. A. MAHR March 27, 1956 MEANS FOR HOLDING A TOGGLE JOINT IN BUCKLED ADJUSTMENT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed Nov. 5, 1948 .MEANS'FOR'HOLDING A TOGGLEJOINT IN 'BUCKLED ADJUSTMENT Julius A. Mahr, Minneapolis, .Minn., assignor, by :rnesne assignments,'to Harold R. Nielsen, St. Paul, Minn.

Continuation ofapplicationSerial No. "58,424, November 5, '1948. This application November 12, 1953, Serial 'No. 391,409

6 Claims. .(Cl. 311-94) Mypresent invention'relates to improvements in means for holding a toggle joint in 'buckledadjustment. While the invention is intended for general use, it is especially well adopted for holding a folding table with its top .in different tilted positions.

The object of this invention is to provide novel means for holding a toggle joint in buckled adjustment.

This application is a continuation of my previous application Serial No. 58,424, filed November 5, 1948.

To the above end, the invention consists of the novel devices and combination of devices hereinafter described and defined in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the invention, like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1.is a side elevational view of the table .in a set up position.

Figure Zmay be referred to as a front elevationof the table, as shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a view of the table in section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 :is a fragmentary detail 'view partly in plan and partly in section taken on the lined-4 of .Figure 1.

The top 5 of the table A has a marginal apron 6 and on the under side thereof is a pair of laterally spaced wood bars 7. These bars 7 extend the full length of the top 5, parallel to the sides thereof and reinforce the same. The table top 5 is supported on a pair of leg frames B and C in crossed arrangement when the table A is set up. The leg frame B includes a pair of legs 8 and the leg frame C includes a pair of legs 9. Each pair of legs 89 have parallel intermediate portions 10 and spaced upper and lower portions 11 and 12 respectively.

The legs 8 and 9 are tubular and their upper end portions are flattened, turned into parallel arrangement and pivoted at 13 to metal bars 14 which are secured to the bars 7 by screws 15. The leg frame B extends between the legs 9 of the leg frame C. The legs 8 and 9 at their intermediate portions are pivotally connected at 16. When the table A is set up, the leg frames 8 and 9 are in crossed arrangement and when folded, are in substantially the same plane.

The legs 9 of the leg frame C are divided above the pivots 16 that connect the legs 8 and 9, and the sections thereof are pivotally connected as at 17 for buckling action. The upper sections of the legs 9 are extensions of the lower section thereof and extend beyond the pivots 17; and the lower ends of these upper leg sections are connected by a cross-tie rod 18. The end portions of the rod 18 extend against the lower sections of the legs 9 in erected condition of the table and act as stops to position the upper sections of the leg frame C in the plane of the lower section thereof. When the table is folded into collapsed condition, the upper section of the leg frame C folds in substantial side by side relation to the lower section thereof. The legs 8 and 9 below the pivots 16 are connected by cross-tie rods 19 and 20 respectively.

States Patent *0 buckled by the buckling of the toggle frame a.

2,739,861 Patented Mar. 27, 1956 When the table A is set up, the 'leg frames "B and C arebeld spread 'by'a toggle "frame d. This frame 'dincludes a generally U-shaped 'yoke4like member 21 and a pair-ofsid'e members'22. The'framemembers 21 and 22 are'tubular'and the ends of the former and the outer ends of the latter are fiatte'ned'and attached to ears '23 on the rods 19 and '20,,'resp'ectively, by' pivots 24. The frame side members 22am outwardly of and overlap the frame member 21and are attached thereto by pivots 25. Integral with the side sections of the 'frame'member 21, and between 'the'transverse portion 'of'sa'id member 21, andthe pivots 2'5, isa'pairof aligned outwardly projectin'g stop 'fin'gers ZF that'engag'e'theframe side'memb'er '22 when the table is *set up. These stop fingers limit relative pivotal movement of the "members Hand 22 when these elements are aligned.

The transverseportion of the frame member '21 affords a han'dleby which said member may be lifted to "buckle the toggle frame iz' when folding the table A. The outer end portions of the 'frame'members 21 and 22 are spread for attachmentto the cross-tie rods 19 and 2t) 'ne'ar'their outer end portions and thereby more efficiently brace the leg frames B and'C.

Obviously, the cross-tie rods 18, 19 and 20 and the toggle framed when'th'e'table A'is set up, afiord'a rigid structure that securely holds the leg frame 3 and prevents angular twisting movement thereof.

To hold the table top 5 in different tilted position,.fiI provide a'pair of latch bars 27 that are pivoted to upstanding ears 28 on the frame side members 22 for raising or lowering movement. These latch bars 27 have in their lower longitudinal edge portions notches 29, any one aligned pair of which may be interlocked with the stop pins 26 when the table top 5 is tilted by buckling the toggle frame d to drawthe leg frames B and C below the zpivots 16 :toward :each other. The actual tilting of the table top 5 takes :place when the leg frame C is The latch bars 27 are connected at their outer end portions by a cross-tie bar 30. This cross-tie bar 30 affords a convenient means for simultaneously lifting the latch bars 27 to side-engage the same from the stop pins 26.

Referring again to the toggle frame d and, as heretofore stated, the transverse portion of its member 21 affords a convenient handle for buckling said frame. it also affords means by which the table A, when folded, may be carried. When carrying the table A, the leg frames B and C hang downwardly substantially parallel to the top 5 and at this time the toggle frame d is folded between the legs 9 of the leg frame C and in the plane thereof.

In accordance with the patent statutes, I have described the principles of contruction and operation of my means for holding a toggle joint in buckled adjustments, and while I have endeavored to set forth the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that obvious changes may be made within the scope of the following claims without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. Two members pivotally connected in the form of an inverted V, a toggle joint connecting said members. a latch bar pivoted at one end portion to one of the links of the toggle joint and extending toward the elbow of the toggle joint, the inner end portion of the other link of the toggle joint being extended beyond the elbow and past the latch bar, said latch bar having in its under side a plurality of longitudinally spaced lock notches, and a detent on the extended end portion of the last noted link between the pivoted end of the latch bar and said elbow with which the latch bar may be interlocked when said members are upwardly buckled and enter the detent in one of the lock notches.

2. A toggle joint for holding a table top in different tilted positions including in combination a table top having a pair of pivotally connected leg members, each member including a pair of crossed leg members, the joint including a U-shaped member having its ends pivotally connected to one pair of leg members along aligned pivots, a pair of spaced arms pivotally connected to the other pair of leg members along aligned pivots, andconnected to opposite sides of said U-shaped member along aligned pivots, and interengageable latch and bar means cooperable between said U-shaped member and one of said arms between the pivotal connection between said arms and said U-shaped member and the pivotal connection between said arms and said other frame member for limiting the relative pivotal movement between said U-shaped member and said arms in one direction in a position wherein said arms and said U-shaped member are angularly held by said latch and bar means to tilt said table topand held substantially in a common plane, to position said table top in a horizontal plane.

3. A toggle joint for tilting a support in difierent working positions mounted on a pair of intersecting frame members each including a pair of spaced legs having connecting means therebetween for holding the legs in proper relation, the frame members being pivotally connected at the point of intersection, the toggle joint including a pair of toggle members, one toggle member comprising a generally U-shaped member having spaced ends connected to one frame member along aligned pivots, the other toggle member including a pair of arms pivotally connected to the other frame member along aligned pivots, aligned pivots connecting the arms to opposite sides of said U-shaped member stop pin means on one of said toggle members engageable with the other toggle member to limit relative pivoted movement of said toggle members when the two toggle members are substantially in a common plan, and latch means pivoted on the other of said toggle members engageable with said stop pin means to limit the relative pivotal movement of said toggle members and tilt said support mounted on said frame members.

4. The structure described in claim 3 and in which the engageable means comprises a stop member on one side of said U-shaped member engageable against one of said arms of the other toggle member.

5. The structure described in claim 3 and in which the toggle members are hinged to the connecting means connecting the spaced legs of each frame member.

6. A toggle joint for connecting a pair of intersecting frame members each including a pair of spaced legs having connecting means therebetween for holding the legsin proper relation, the frame members being pivotally connected at the point of intersection, the toggle joint including a pair of toggle members, one toggle member comprising a generally U-shaped member having spaced ends connected to one frame member along aligned pivots, the other toggle member including a pair of arms pivotally connected to the other frame member along aligned pivots, aligned pivots connecting the arms to opposite sides of said U-shaped member and stop means on one of said toggle members engageable with other of said toggle member to limit relative pivotal movement of said toggle members when said two toggle members are substantially in a common plane.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 482,269 North Sept. 6, 1892 490,991 Smith Jan. 31, 1893 598,698 Crooks Feb. 8, 1898 649,300 Hall May 8, 1900 727,351 Gray May 5, 1903 753,733 Piper Mar. 1, 1904 870,135 Schneider Nov. 5, 1907 2,060,367 Flagstad Nov. 10, 1936 2,426,514 Long Aug. 26, 1947 2,431,898 Witken Dec. 2, 1947 2,432,192 Gaudette Dec. 9, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS 509,107 Great Britain July 11, 1939 Germany Dec'. 31, 1936 

